At dinner, Felicia complimented me, saying my cooking was as delicious as ever. She ate with apparent enjoyment.

I watched her as she replied to messages on her phone, the smile on my face not reaching my eyes. No matter how good I was to her, it didn't stop her from seeking out another man.

Not long after finishing her meal, Felicia went to bed. I picked up her phone and keyed in the password—her birthday. Pinned to the top of her chat list was one Derek Hoole. Her chat with me had long been buried so deep that I couldn't even find it on the homepage.

I opened her conversation with Derek and saw her calling him "honey," a title that should've belonged to me but was now being used on someone else. Her messages were like a knife to my eyes.

Felicia: [Ugh, Marcus actually thought to turn off the circuit. Our honeymoon plans are delayed again.]

Felicia: [He's so annoying! Why won't he just die already? Derek, I just want to be with you right now.]

Derek: [It's okay, Felicia. As long as our hearts are one, we're already together. As for him, we'll wait for our next chance.]

Their chat history went back two months. At first, they were just discussing art, but over time, their conversations became increasingly flirtatious and explicit. Felicia shared every little detail of her day with Derek, a stark contrast to the cold and distant demeanor she showed me. Apart from necessary communication, we barely talked anymore.

Unbelievable. This whole thing was unbelievable!

Reading their messages, I felt a rage building in my chest. I had paid for Felicia to take art classes, and this was how she repaid me.

Without hesitation, I backed up their chat history to my cloud drive. After some more scrolling, I found a crucial piece of information.

Derek: [Shall we continue painting tomorrow?]

Felicia: [Oh, Derek, you're so naughty!]

I frowned. Painting? What were they painting? Why would Felicia react like that over a regular painting? Something told me this was more than it seemed.

The next day, Felicia got up early, carefully doing her makeup at her vanity. She put on her favorite pink dress and small pearl earrings, then cheerfully called out, "I'm off to class!" She slipped into her heels and skipped out the door.

Even that little farewell seemed like a token gesture, a sliver of kindness given to me out of the joy she felt about meeting Derek.

I quietly followed Felicia, watching as she first headed to the art studio and then entered Derek's apartment. His studio, where he taught students, was right next to his apartment. He rented the two units side by side.

I waited, thinking about how I could get in without being noticed. Just then, a food delivery guy walked up to the door.

"Is this for Unit 608?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

I took the delivery from him. "I'll take it."

I also handed him 30 dollars, buying his uniform and mask. With the food in hand, I knocked on the door.

Felicia's familiar voice came from inside. "I said to leave the food at the door."

Then, a soft man's voice followed. "It's fine, Felicia. I'll get it."

Derek opened the door, and my eyes were immediately drawn to a splash of pink on the floor. It was Felicia's dress, the one she wore out this morning. I caught a glimpse through the crack of the door and saw the edge of a canvas. On it, a woman was standing with birthday suit on a balcony.

My mind went blank. I didn't even remember how I got downstairs. I had watched Felicia walk into that apartment. I had my suspicions about what they might be doing, but I never imagined it would be this shocking.

Felicia was posing as topless model for Derek?

I sat on the bench outside for over two hours, the wind blowing in my face. The security guard noticed me sitting there motionless and offered me a cigarette.

"Young man, everyone goes through tough times. You just have to work through it. Don't let it get to you," he comforted.

The cigarette smoke stung my eyes, and I let out a tear. After collecting myself, I went back upstairs and knocked on the door. "Mr. Hoole, I'm here to pick up Felicia."

Derek welcomed me in without missing a beat, joking, "Felicia, your husband really cares about you. He showed up personally to pick you up. He must really worry about you."

Felicia subtly frowned when she saw me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on how your lessons have been going these past two months. I've been too busy lately to spend time with you," I answered.

Derek chimed in, "Felicia has made a lot of progress. She's the most talented student I've ever had."

Felicia blushed and said playfully, "Oh, come on, Mr. Hoole. You're exaggerating."

Derek turned to me. "It's true. Would you like to see some of Felicia's work?"

I agreed immediately. I had spent over 1.5 grand on these lessons, and I wanted to see what Felicia had managed to accomplish.

Derek's smile faltered for a split second, clearly not expecting me to actually agree. He turned and headed into his studio, saying, "Give me a moment. There's a lot of stuff in there, and I need to find the right piece."

After he left, Felicia's demeanor changed completely. She glared at me. "Why are you here causing trouble?"

"I'm here to take you home," I replied.

She scowled. "I know how to get home on my own. Don't tell me you're really worried about me like Mr. Hoole said.

"Marcus, you're embarrassing me. Mr. Hoole is just my teacher. Showing up here is like a slap in my face."

I watched Felicia, noting the sharp tone that didn't match her usual appearance. She was the one cheating, yet she was acting all high and mighty. It was because I'd spoiled her too much, always giving in to her.

Fine, I'd put up with her for two more days. I wanted to see how long she could keep this up.

There was a noise coming from the studio next door—something falling. Felicia immediately ran over to check.

With both Derek and Felicia in the studio, I started searching for the painting they were working on earlier. The living room was full of empty frames piled in one corner. I glanced over at them. Most were just landscape oil paintings. Finally, I found a painting that had been turned around in the bedroom.

I flipped it over, revealing a painting of a woman's body. She was partially covered by a bedsheet, lounging on a sofa. Her eyes were seductive as she extended her arm, beckoning forward.

It wasn't Felicia, but another woman. It was someone I recognized from when I enrolled Felicia in these classes. Had all of Derek's students posed for him?

I pulled back other covered canvases. Derek had 20 or 30 canvases in his bedroom, all depicting women's bodies. Some were of Felicia, starting as simple sketches and gradually becoming more explicit.

I touched the canvas of the painting I'd stumbled upon earlier. The paint was still wet. There was a small black mole on the chest of the subject. The same one Felicia had. She wore a coy smile in the painting.

I took a step back and accidentally bumped into the desk, causing the computer screen to light up. I looked at the screen which was opened to a website. The page was filled with the same types of drawings I had just seen.

A message notification popped up in the corner: [How much for the third one in the first row?]

Derek was selling these paintings? He was posting these compromising paintings online and profiting off them. Absolutely disgusting. He was no better than scum.

Everyone might come across such websites at some point, but those were just faceless strangers. However, this…this was my wife, someone I knew.

Fighting the wave of nausea, I took pictures and recorded videos of the computer screen, Derek's account details, and transaction information. I gathered all the evidence I could.

I quietly closed the door and went back to my apartment.